Tribute to a fallen Hero

This past week a Marine from the small town of Carrollton, Ohio near where I grew up died while fighting for our Country in Afghanistan. This is the video tribute the local paper did while they brought this Marine home yesterday morning.

May This Soldier Rest In Peace.

The Nutty Farm

The other day someone asked me where I lived, with a deadpan look I told them "The Nutty Farm". The questioning raised eyebrow said it all, "are you kidding me? why would you say such a thing? I surely hope you aren't serious!" Yet I was very serious, why because I am surrounded by NUT TREES!!!!! Walnuts, Butternuts, Hickory Nuts and Chestnuts, not the mention Oak trees covered in Acorns.

Walnuts

Chestnuts

Butternuts

Sadly I haven't made it out to take pictures of our Hickory Trees or nuts just yet. But as I said I live on the Nutty Farm.

The smell of books

I love the way books smell, new ones and old ones alike. It is right up there with fresh cut grass as one of my all time favorite smells, the smell of a baby is of course always at the top but when you aren't around a baby these other two smell just as good to me. :)
The library is one of my favorite places in the whole world, the smell of new and old books blending together to make a scent all its own is where I want to be. I can sit and read a book as my escape from the worries and problems of life even if it is only for a few minutes or a whole hour. 

     Katherine has started going to story hour at our local library, I was hoping to meet other homeschoolers there but alas she is the only child that has shown up the last two weeks. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks a few more children will start arriving and she can have a few new friends.

I leave you with this.

Learning for Life

           My Mom is the Director and Nurse Manager of a Crisis Pregnancy Center who has recently started a program called Learning for Life. Learning for Life gets the women (and some men) to earn coupons or Mommy Money to "buy" items they need for their children (clothes, diapers etc.) or themselves that the center gives out. This mommy money is used after the client has been given his or her allotted amount of items for the month.
          It is great program that helps women and men to become involved in their community, for instance going to a Bible study each week earns them 1 coupon, volunteering for 2 hours earns them 1 coupon. There are also classes such as learning to make your own baby wipes, going to the public library and learning Windows basics, Word: basics and editing. The clients at the Pregnancy Center are truly learning something they can use the rest of their life, Learning For Life!

The First Day of School

After weeks of preparing for the start of school for Katherine, today was officially first day of school for her. We had review the alphabet the last several weeks just to get her back in the mind set of school work. As I get my mind into teacher mode, which is a new one for me. I have been a student for so long I have been having a hard time changing my mindset of being a teacher, thank goodness for teacher manuals is all I have to say about that.

The kindergarten that I am using for Katherine is called Our Father's World, it integrates Pre-K and K together. Since Katherine has two years of Pre-K under her belt, she has some of the basics down already such as the alphabet, primary colors and a basic shapes. So that takes some of the steps out of each day, and to be honest that is OK with me right now. We will review some of the things she already knows just as a reminder and I will incorporate them into her regular scheduled day, that way I know she has them down.

Starting school

        Fall is slowing creeping around the corner much to my chagrin, I am in love with summer. I wait for 3 seasons for it to arrive and I get very disappointed once it has left, cold weather and I do not mix well at all and not matter what anyone says you can only put so many layers on before you can't walk, sit, basically move at all.
       But with fall comes the start of school, Katherine is going to be in kindergarten this year and I am homeschooling her. Which I know will be fun and challenging for the both of us, since she isn't one to sit still for long periods of time. Thankfully the curriculum that I have should only take 60-90 minutes, of course that is if I decided not to deviate from the book. Which I am planning on doing, for instance on Monday's she has ballet and tap dance lessons aka gym, on Wednesdays she has Story Time at the library I am not sure where to categorize that one just yet but I'll figure it out ;).
      I have decided to wait till Tuesday the 6th, to start school with Katherine, it seems silly to start so early like the public schools do. But hey its my school therefore my rules right? Thats Right!
Signing off to go heed the call of motherhood.
Ciao!